Street-cleaner.



PATENTED SEPT. 1',' 1908.

R. L. WORTHINGTON.

STREET CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.12, 1907.

WITNESSES T TO/HIE.

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RICHARD LEE WORTHINGTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed November 12, 1907. Serial No. 401,782.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD LEE WORTH- INGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street cleaners, the object being, to provide a street cleaner which can be readily pushed by one man so as to thoroughly clean the surface of the street.

Another object of my invention is, to provide a cleaner with novel means for conveying the dirt from the street into the body of the cleaner so that the operator will not have to stop and remove his shovel and scoop the dirt up and throw it into the body.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a cleaner with endless chains which work over an inclined shovel, the chains being provided with spaced brushes which are rotated as they move upwardly.

Another object of my invention is, to provide a cleaner with a rotary brush which can be easily raised and lowered, said brush being driven by a gear meshing with a gear carried by the main axle of the sweeper.

These objects are obtained by the novel arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter fully described and shown, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1', is a side elevational view of my improved cleaner. Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3, is a detail view of the portion of the rack and one of the gears carried by the brushes, and, Fig. 4, is a detail plan view showing the manner of operating the rotary brush.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates an axle provided with wheels A and carrying brackets B on which is mounted a body 0, which is provided with a handle C at one end by means of which the machine is forced forwardly.

Secured on the front edge of the body C adjacent each upper corner is a bracket D in which is mounted a shaft E carrying gear wheels E over which pass chains F carried by sprocket wheels F fixed to the axle A so that when the machine is shoved forward the shaft E will be operated as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Secured to the upper edge of the body between the brackets D is a shovel G which is supported by a bracket G and extends downwardly having a sharpened edge Gr adapted to engage the pavement and scrape the dirt therefrom. Uprights H are secured to the sides of the shovel G adjacent its sharpened edge in which is mounted a shaft H on which are secured sprocket wheels 1 adjacent each upright H, and secured on the shaft E adjacent the sprockets E are sprocket wheels J, traveling over the sprockets I and J are endless chains K between which are revolubly mounted circular brushes L, which are provided with gears L adjacent each end adapted to engage a rack M carried by supports M. This rack is so arranged in respect to the chains that the sprocket Wheel of the brush will engage the rack as soon as it passes over the lower sprockets 1, whereby when the brushes are carried upwardly they will be rotated at the same time so as to insure all the dirt being carried into the body of the cart.

The body is provided with depending members N to the rear of the axle A to which are pivotedly connected links 0 carrying a rotary brush P, which is provided with gear wheels P at each end adapted to engage gear wheels Q secured on the main drive axle A, whereby when the cart is shoved forwardly the brush will be rotated whereby the dirt which was not collected by the shovel can be brushed up into piles and collected later.

Secured on the spindles of the rotary brush P are the apertured ends of a yoke R which is provided with a handle R having a hook R for holding the brush in position when in use and a hook R ada ted to engage the cross bar C of the handle when it is desired to draw the brush up above the ground out of use.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a street cleaner with an endless chain of brushes which will be rotated as they move upwardly over the shovel so as to insure all of the dirt of the shovel being conveyed into the body of the machine. It will also be seen that I have provided an auxiliary rotary brush in con nection with the machine which can be thrown in and out of operation as desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a street sweeper, the combination with a body mounted on wheels, of a shovel secured to said body, endless chains mounted over said shovel carrying rotary brushes and means for operating said chains and rotating said brushes simultaneously.

2. In a street sweeper, the combination with a body mounted on wheels, of a shovel secured to one end of the body, endless chains traveling over said shovel provided with a plurality of rotary brushes and means for rotating said brushes when traveling upwardly.

3. In a street sweeper, the combination 5. The combination with a body, of an axle provided with wheels, gears secured on said axle, a shovel secured to one end of said body, brackets secured to said body, a shaft mounted in said brackets carrying gears, chains passing over said gears and the gears of the axle, and an endless chain carrying brushes traveling over said shovel, and means for rotating said brushes.

6. The combination with a body, of an axle provided with wheels, a shovel secured to one end of said body, brackets secured to said end to each side of said shovel, uprights connected to the shovel, adjacent its lower end, shafts mounted in said brackets and uprights, sprockets secured to said shafts,

chains traveling over said sprockets, cylindrical brushes carried by said chains provided with gears, racks carried by the shovel, adapted to be engaged by the gears of the brushes, and means for operating the shaft carried by the brackets, for the purpose described.

7. A street sweeper comprising a body, an axle provided with wheels, a shovel secured to one end of said body, endless chains travcling over said shovel carrying cylindrical brushes, gears carried by said brushes, and racks carried by the shovel meshing with the gears of the brushes when said brushes are traveling upwardly, for the purpose set forth.

8. A street sweeper comprising a wheeled body, a shovel carried by said body, adapted to travel on the surface of the ground in advance of said body, an endless chain traveling over said shovel, a plurality of cylindrical brushes carried by said chain engaging said shovel, gears carried by said brushes, and racks secured to said shovel adapted to be engaged by the gears of said brushes for rotating said brushes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD LEE WORTHINGTON.

Witnesses:

REA P. WRIGHT, CrIAs. E. PoTTs. 

